Standard Lemma guide

tenseness

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The characteristic of being tense.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A particular vowel or consonant quality that is phonemically contrastive in many languages, including English.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, phonetics, phonology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he suffered from fatigue and emotional tension
  • stress is a vasoconstrictor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tension, stress

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: strain, mental strain, nervous strain

Narrower terms: yips, breaking point

4

noun

Meaning 4

the physical condition of being stretched or strained

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it places great tension on the leg muscles
  • he could feel the tenseness of her body

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tension, tensity, tautness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: condition, status

Narrower terms: tonicity, tonus, tone

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English tense Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English tenseness From tense + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: tension — the characteristic of being tense
  • German: Gespanntheit — the characteristic of being tense
  • Irish: riteacht — the characteristic of being tense